Human periodontal ligament fibroblasts stimulated by nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite paste or enamel matrix derivative. An in vitro assessment of PDL attachment, migration, and proliferation.

We determined the effects of soluble or coated nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite paste (nano-HA) and enamel matrix derivative (EMD) on proliferation, adhesion, and migration of periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLs). Cultured PDLs were stimulated with nano-HA paste or EMD in a soluble form or were coated to the surface of cell culture dishes. Proliferation of PDLs on coated nano-HA and EMD was quantified by various methods including bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and Western blot. Cell migration was investigated in a modified Boyden chamber. The surface integrin profile of PDLs was determined using an integrin-specific ELISA, and integrin-specific signaling was measured by immunoblotting of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Coated nano-HA stimulated PDL proliferation to a larger extent as compared with coated EMD. PDL migration towards a nano-HA or EMD gradient was more efficiently mediated by soluble EMD as compared with nano-HA but vice versa, adhesion of PDLs to compound-coated dishes was more effectively mediated by nano-HA as compared with EMD. Mechanistically, majorly integrin α5β1-mediated adhesion of PDL and both coated compounds mediated a significant increase in FAK activation though to a different extent. Current findings offer two different modes of action for EMD and nano-HA paste. EMD efficiently acts as a chemoattractant in its soluble form, while nano-HA paste effectively serves as a synthetic extracellular matrix component in its coated form. Our findings suggest that EMD and nano-HA paste display different molecular characteristics and apply alternative routes to mediate their beneficial effects on periodontal tissues.